Loose leaf binder



June 26, 1934. P. O. .UNGER LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed May 26. 1932 .NRU. w w N 1 D401. 0. UA/GEQ BY ATTORNEY.

Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOSE LEAF BINDER Paul O. Unger, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor toWilson-Jones Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 26, 1932, Serial No. 613,607

Claims. (Cl. 12924) 7 This invention relates to a loose leafbinder and Each pintle slide is provided with a notch 16 more particularly to mechanism for locking the in its lower edge.- A piece of spring wire 1'7 is binder in its closed position. welded to the metal plate 6 so that its free end It is well known that loose leaf binders are 18 presses against the lower surface of the pin- 5 widely used to hold court records and other vital tle slide adjacent the notch 16. A lug 19 is sestatistics. It has been a problem to provide adecured to one end of the pintle slide by means of quate means to prevent tampering with such a screw 20. The lug l9 abuts the end of the records because of the ease with which sheets sheath 8 in the normal travel of the pintle slide may be removed from or inserted in most loose just short of the point where the free end of 113 leaf binders. Many States require that loose leaf the spring 18 would snap into the notch 16. A

binders containing records be provided with locks metal shield 21 welded to the sheath 8 and the and keys. However, even this safeguard does not plate 6 serves to conceal thespring 17 and to insure safety because a person lawfully using a prevent tampering with the permanent look. It record book may leave the same unlocked and is obvious that the shield 21 may be made-in- 1 5 return the key to its custodian. tegral with the sheath 8 if desired. 7

It is an object of this invention to provide When it is desired to lock the binder permameans to prevent the loose leaf binder from benently so that no leaves can be inserted or reing opened for the insertion or removal of sheets moved, the lug 19 is removed from the end of by unauthorized persons. It is a further object of the pintle slide and the slide is pushed into the 20 this invention to provide means making it imsheath far enough to allow the free end of the possible for a person lawfully using a record spring to snap into the notch 16. The pintle book to leave the same unlocked without the slide can not be forced through the opposite end knowledge of the custodian of the records. It of the sheath because that end is closed. is a further object of this invention to provide A key-operated lock 22 adapted to lock the 25 means whereby the binder may be permanently binder temporarily before permanent locking is locked. Other objects of this invention will bedesired is positioned within the trough of the come apparent upon reading the following speciback portion 4. One end of the back section is fication taken in conjunction with the accomprovided with a flange 23 having an opening 24 panying drawing in which: through which a key 25 may be inserted to oper- V 80- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a loose leaf ate the lock mechanism. This structure is of parbinder embodying a preferred form of the inticular advantage in that the beauty of the bindvention; er is not lessened by any unsightly openings or Figure 2 is a section taken through the cenprojections. The top of the lock 22 does not pro ter of the back of the binder with parts broken ject beyond the top of the flange 23. This struc- 35 away to facilitate the illustration; ture has the further advantage that it makes it Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail perspective of possible for a single lock to lock both pintle slides the temporary lock in unlocked position. simultaneously. 7

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing The lock 22 includes a metal casing 26 shaped the lock in locked position. to fit the contour of the trough of the back sec- 40. Figure 5 is a transverse section of the lock. tion 4 and welded thereto. The casing is pro- In the drawing the reference numerals 2 and vided with a plurality of lugs 2'? which fit in slots 3 indicate a pair of cover sections connected to in the cover member 28 and are bent over to rea back section 4 by means of hinges 5. The back tain the cover member in position. The metal section 4 includes a trough-shaped metal plate casing and its cover are left open at the end 45-. 6 having a cover 7 of leather, fibre board or simipositioned adjacent the flange 23 of the back lar material on its outer face. A pair of metal section to allow access to the working parts of sheaths 8 are welded to the metal plate 6 at its the look by the key 25. A metal guide member edges. The sheaths 8 are recessed, as indicated 29 having upturned flanges parallel to the walls at 9, so as to receive the ends of a plurality of of the casing 26 is welded'to the casing. The side 0- posts 10 upon which a plurality of loose leaves walls of the casing 26 are notched,-as indicated at 11 may be impaled. A pintle slide 12 is mounted 30 and 31, to guide and support a pairof transin each sheath 8. The pintle slide is recessed, as versely slidable arms 32 and 33. The upturned indicated at 13, to provide prongs 14 which are flanges of the guide member 29 are similarly adapted to engage with openings 15 in the ends notched. 4 55 of the posts 10. The arm 32 is provided with a pair of upstanding lugs 34 and 35 adapted to be operated by the cam surfaces 36 and 37, respectively, positioned on opposite sides of one prong of the key 25. The arm 33 is provided with a pair of depending lugs 33 and 39 adapted to be operated by the cam surfaces 40 and 41 respectively, positioned on opposite sides of the other prong of the key 25. The arm 32 is bent upwardly atits outer endas indicated at 42. The arm 33 is provided with a similar upturned portion 43. These upturned portions 42 and 43 are adapted to be moved adjacent the pintle slides 12 slidably mounted along opposite sides of the back section 4 of the binder. Each pintle slide 12 is provided with an integral lug 44 so positioned that when the pintle slide is in closed position the upstanding portion of one of the arms 32 or 33 may be moved adjacent the pintle slide in front of the lug 44 and thus prevent movement of the pintle slide to open position until the arm is first moved out of the path of travel of the lug 44.

The arms 32 and 33 are each notched, as indicated at 45, to receive a detent 46 when the arms are in extended, or looking, position. The detent 46 prevents accidental movement of the arms 32 and 33. The detent 46 is provided with a spring housing 47 in which a U-shaped member having springs 48 encircling its arms 49 is positioned. The arms 49 extend through small openings 50 so as to retain the springs 48 between the rear wall of the casing 26 and the front wall of the spring housing 47. The springs exert continuous force against the detent 46 so that whenever the arms 32 and 33 are in extended position the detent snaps in place in the notches 45.

The casing 26 is provided with an upstanding lug 51. The lug 51 may be welded to the guide member 29 as shown, or may be merely struck out of the guide member and bent upwardly. The

' key 25 is provided with an aperture 52 adapted to fit over the lug 51 when the key is in its innermost position. This serves to hold the key in place and prevents the spring-pressed member 4'7 from forcing the key outwardly.

The operation of the temporary lock 22 is as follows:

Starting with a closed book, the elements of the lock are in the positions indicated in Figure 4 of the drawing. A key 25 inserted through the opening 24 in the flange of the back section of the book will have its prongs automatically positioned by the upstanding flanges of the guide member 29 so that one prong moves between the lugs 34 and 35 and the other prong moves between 5 the lugs 38 and 39. The prongs then engage the front wall of the spring housing 47 and force it back against the pressure of the springs 48, thus moving the detent 46 out of the notches 45. Further inward movement of the key brings the cam surface 37 into engagement with the lug 35 and the cam surface 41 into engagement with the lug 39. These cam surfaces force the lugs inwardly and since the lugs 35 and 39 are rigidly attached to the arms 32 and 33, respectively, the

j arms 32 and 33 are moved inwardly so that the If either pintle slide 12 is in open position, the lug 44 prevents outward movement of the vertical portion 42 or 43 of the arm 32 or 33, respectively. If either arm can not move outwardly, the lug 34 or 38 will bind against the cam surface 36 or 40, respectively, and will prevent withdrawal of the key 25. If both pintle slides are in closed position, outward movement of the key 25 causes the cam surfaces 36 and 40 to engage the lugs 34 and 38, respectively, and move the arms 32 and 33 outwardly to locking position. The spring-pressed detent 46 follows the key and snaps into position in the notches 45 to hold the arms 32 and 33 in looking position as soon as the notches are in alignment therewith.

Although I have specifically described a single embodiment of my invention it is obvious that many details may be changed or modified without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact details disclosed except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide, and a key-operated temporary locking mechanism, said temporary locking mechanism including means to prevent withdrawal of its key while said slide is in unlocked condition.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of pintle slides operable independently of each other, and a single key-operated locking mechanism operatively connected to said slides, said locking mechanism including means to prevent withdrawal of its key while either of said slides is in unlocked condition.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of pintle slides, and a single key-operated temporary locking mechanism operatively connected to both of said slides, said temporary locking mechanism including means to prevent withdrawal of its key while either of said slides is in unlocked condition.

4. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of cover sections connected by a trough-shaped back section, and a key-operated locking mechanism contained within the trough of said back section, said looking mechanism including means to prevent withdrawal of its key while in unlocked condition.

5. In a loose leaf binder, a back section, a pintle slide movable longitudinally along said back section, a lug on said slide near one extremity thereof, a bar movable transversely into and out of the path of travel of said lug, means to actuate said bar, and means on said bar to prevent withdrawal of said actuating means while said bar is positioned out of the path of travel of said lug.

6. In a loose leaf binder, a back section, a pair of pintle slides movable longitudinally along opposite edges of said back section, each of said slides having a lug positioned near one extremity thereof, a pair of bars each of which is movable transversely into and out of the path of travel of one of said lugs, means to actuate said bars, and means on said bars to prevent withdrawal of said actuating means while either of said bars is positioned out of the path of travel of said lug.

7. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide, a bar operable to lock said pintle slide in closed position, means for actuating said bar, said means having two cam surfaces, a lug on said bar actuated by one of .said cam surfaces to move said bar into unlocked position, and another lug on said bar actuated by the other cam surface to move said bar into locking position, said lastmentioned lug being adapted to prevent withdrawal of said actuating means while said bar is in unlocked position.

8. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of pintle slides, a locking mechanism including a pair of bars movable into and out of locking engagement with said slides, a pair of lugs on each of said bars, and actuating means for moving said bars, said actuating means including an individual cam for each of said lugs.

9. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of pintle slides, a pair of bars movable into and out of locking engagement with said slides, a detent normally holding said bars in looking position and means PAUL o. UNGER. 

